Penick's Take
PENICK: Polarizing heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar deserve respect for agreeing to UFC 141 showdown
Sep 7, 2011 - 1:00:14 PM PENICK: Polarizing heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar deserve respect for agreeing to UFC 141 showdown

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

There is no fighter in mixed martial arts that draws a polarizing reaction from fans as much as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. Since he entered the UFC in 2008, Lesnar has drawn admiration from a segment of the fanbase for tearing through a difficult schedule and taking on dangerous fights. Many more have decried his presence in the sport from the beginning, discrediting all he's accomplished following his loss to Cain Velasquez last year.

After having a foot of his colon removed following the reemergence of his diverticulitis earlier this year, Lesnar will step back into the Octagon this December against perhaps the most dangerous opponent he could have faced in Alistair Overeem.

Many fans tuning into the fight between Lesnar and Overeem this December won't have much knowledge on what "The Reem" brings with him into the cage, but it's going to be a sufficient arsenal of skills developed over the years he's spent in MMA and in kickboxing to combat the speed, size and wrestling that Lesnar boasts.

While they're stylistically much different fighters, Overeem shares with Lesnar that attribute for polarizing the fanbase. Amongst hardcore fans of the sport, Overeem is either considered one of the top heavyweights in the world or one of the most overrated fighters in any division.

The truth with both men, of course, lies somewhere in the middle.

It's true that Lesnar has gotten favorable treatment from the UFC - in terms of getting big fights in the organization - because of the name he had built prior to entering the sport. However, though he may have been handed opportunities other fighters were not, the fact of the matter is that Lesnar rose to the occasion more often than not, and succeeded against a level of opposition most wouldn't have attempted.

Because of his pro wrestling background, the fact that he's taken an extremely tough path through his MMA career is ignored by many. He took on a former champion in Frank Mir in his second career fight, and it was inexperience that led to a couple mistakes and kept him from finishing what looked to be a one-sided beating. After not allowing a 50 fight veteran in Heath Herring to do much of anything in a one-sided decision, he took out Randy Couture to capture the title before delivering his most brutal beating in his rematch with Mir.

After a year off from his first bout with diverticulitis, Lesnar returned against the most dangerous opponent in the UFC at the time in Shane Carwin, survived the first round scare and submitted him in the second round. He then turned right around and fought a faster and perhaps stronger fighter than Carwin in Cain Velasquez, and lost his title in humbling fashion.

Yes, Lesnar has some glaring weaknesses. Most fighters coming into their eighth career fight don't have everything figured out. The difference is that most fighters aren't taking on some of the top competition available in six of their first seven fights.

It would have been easy for Lesnar to request a different fight than Overeem. A fight with Minotauro Nogueira may have been another available marquee matchup, and against an opponent very different from the strikers that have been giving him trouble; he could have requested a fight against someone like Brendan Schaub off a loss to get his confidence back after so much time out of the cage, but that's not what has happened. Instead, Lesnar will take on what many feel is the kryptonite for his game in yet another vicious striker wholly capable of attacking his main weakness.

Then again, there's that segment of fans that are anything but Overeem believers, and expect him to be exposed against Lesnar. Despite a stellar track record over the last four years, where he's gone undefeated in 11 MMA fights and has captured a Grand Prix championship in K-1 in kickboxing, Overeem - in the eyes of many - hasn't earned the accolades placed upon him either.

Overeem's early career was spent bouncing mainly back and forth between the Netherlands and Japan, and he compiled a 16-3 record in his first three and a half years in the sport, stopping all 16 opponents in his victories. The Overeem of 2003 is unrecognizable compared to the specimen he's become at heavyweight, but despite that the Dutch fighter had found a lot of early success fighting near the light heavyweight limit.

The next four-year-stretch of Overeem's career was shaky, at best, an up and down period that saw Overeem fight nearly as many times as he did in the first few years; but a record of just 9-8 in those fights didn't have him looking like a superstar.

This was also the stretch of his career where he faced more difficult and high level opponents than at any other time in his MMA run.

Though he did pick up wins over notables in Pride in Vitor Belfort (twice), Igor Vovchanchyn and Sergei Kharitonov, he was also beaten by a number of big name opponents. Chuck Liddell, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (once by TKO, once by decision), Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (twice), Ricardo Arona (submission due to strikes) and Kharitonov in their rematch all boast stoppage victories against Overeem by strikes, while he was also submitted by Fabricio Werdum.

One of the reasons many feel he still is unproven at heavyweight despite his success over this last four year stretch is because his level of competition significantly declined as he moved up in weight. Instead of fighting world class opponents as he had at light heavyweight against Liddell, Nogueira, Rua, etc., Overeem won ten of his next eleven fights (with one no contest) against a number of fighters nowhere near that level.

It was in the midst of this stretch that Overeem's development as a kickboxer kicked into gear. While he was fighting lesser names in MMA, Overeem was taking on challenges in K-1. Overeem traded knockout finishes with Badr Hari, defeated Peter Aerts by decision in a massive upset in 2009 and went through the field in the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix, taking out Aerts by KO this time in the finals to accomplish his goals in that sport.

His striking prowess during this run raised his profile greatly, so much so that his most ardent supporters are willing to forgive the lack of top heavyweight competition on his record in declaring him one of the top fighters in the division.

But neither Overeem nor Lesnar needs to be defined by their shortcomings or what has happened in the past. This is as dangerous a fight for Overeem as it is for Lesnar, in the respect that Overeem has never faced an elite wrestler, and certainly not one with the size or speed that Lesnar can bring to the cage. At the same time, Lesnar has struggled against hard hitting opponents in his last two fights, and Overeem hits about as hard, if not harder, than anyone Lesnar has faced.

Both men deserve respect for accepting this fight and taking on the challenge of fighting one another. Lesnar isn't going to leave MMA quietly, and Overeem is ready to put a stamp on his place in the heavyweight landscape.

Neither fighter has proven to be as good as their biggest fans and supporters think they are; but they're not the overrated and undeserving fighters their biggest detractors would have you believe, either.

This fight simply brings together two fascinating heavyweights in a bout that can easily have a number of paths to victory for each. There are tons of questions coming into this fight. How good is Overeem's takedown defense? Can Lesnar survive long enough to bring the fight to the ground? Will Overeem be aggressive or will he be tentative as he was in his last bout with Farbricio Werdum? Can Lesnar get back to his 2009 self after a second bout with diverticulitis? Is he going to be a better or worse fighter than in his two fights in 2010? Can Overeem handle the pressure and rise to the occasion in his biggest career heavyweight fight?

The fact that so many of these questions aren't easy to answer makes this an immensely interesting fight. It's a special heavyweight fight between two often unfairly judged fighters, and hopefully fans from all sides can appreciate what both Overeem and Lesnar are bringing to this massive year-ending fight for the UFC.